The eyes are a very thin and sensitive part of the body. In addition to the presence of many specific diseases, some visual impairments are sometimes present, which are a reflection of other pathologies. The case when the eyeball hurts can be associated with many reasons. Consider them with the study of the characteristics of each disease in this article.
Overview of the possible causes of eye diseases
As in many aspects of fibromyalgia, the relationship of this disease with eye problems has not been determined, but there are some points that could answer the question:
- Most people with fibromyalgia have eye problems due to Sjögren’s syndrome, which also causes dry mouth and can be attributed to the presence of specific antibodies in the blood and other tests.
- The use of tricyclic antidepressants can play an important role in the development of symptoms of dryness.
- Diseases of the postural muscles involved in the movement of the eyeball can cause cramping and then distorted vision.
- Fibromyalgia affects the nervous system and therefore affects vision. This can cause the eyes to become sensitive to light and touch, and can also cause dry eyes and blurred vision.
- Lack of quality sleep can lead to dry eyeballs, because when the eyes are not resting enough, they usually dry out much faster than usual.
One eye problem
Regardless of the type of pathology, discomfort is not always present in both eyes. Sometimes it appears in only one, usually in the left. This is a common situation when a patient is interested in the question, why does his eyeball hurt? We will try to answer this question.
The pain in the left eye is sometimes explained by reasons that have nothing to do with the eye directly, although this is hard to believe. The truth is that this area, due to its position, is connected with many others in the head:
- Migraine or headache. This is one of the main reasons. They usually differ from pain in a different intensity. In general, this is due to optical nerves, which can be pressed or pinched by muscles or by shock. Sometimes a headache is caused by hormonal changes, especially in women, or some changes in the blood vessels of the brain. In any case, as a rule, this type of pain is noticeable from the inside of the eye, although there may be some external reflex.
- Teeth on the left side of the mouth: when your jaw hurts or toothache is present, it usually becomes radiated throughout the face, even gets into the eyes through the nervous system located in this area. Then the eyeball hurts.
- Some infections: Pain in infections, such as sinusitis, also manifests itself with acute pain behind the eye, among other characteristic symptoms.
- Scleritis: This is another possible reason that explains why your left eye hurts. This disease is inflammation of the eye, which manifests itself through pain, as well as redness of the eyes. Scleritis is commonly associated with rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
- The eyeball hurts when it is caused by diseases or discomfort in the eyes themselves. One of the most common diseases is the so-called dry eye. The problem arises in people who spend a lot of time on a computer or mobile device. It causes pain, even a headache. Why is the pain concentrated in the left side? Most likely, this is due to the position of the screen or because with the eye you have to make more efforts to see well.
- The eyeball also hurts when pressed because of the so-called orbital inflammatory syndrome, accompanied by inflammation of the muscles around the eyes. Pathology, which in itself is usually not very common.
Other eye diseases that cause pain
When eyeballs hurt, the reasons can be different. The pain that is felt inside and behind the eye can also be caused by other eye diseases that are very important and should be treated. In fact, the so-called "orbital pain" is associated with many of them:
- Acute glaucoma: this disease causes an attack of pain due to an increase in intraocular pressure, which occurs due to a greater blockage of fluid output. The latter is responsible for the stay of the eyes on the inside.
- Optic neuritis: it also causes a sharp pain in the eyeball, which is accompanied by blurred vision and can lead to a person having poor color discrimination. Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve, whose first signs appear depending on the muscles of the eyes. Its appearance is associated with various pathologies caused by viral or bacterial infections, as well as with multiple sclerosis.
- Parallel skull paralysis: this is another pathology that causes throbbing pain in the eyeball. It manifests itself when the blood that flows to the nerves of the muscles does not flow properly. This causes paralysis of the nerves of the skull, which leads to pain. In addition, if there is a disease, you can also notice other symptoms, such as a split vision.
- Irit: another manifestation that is inflammation of the iris, that is, the part of the eye that is colored and surrounded by the pupil.
- Corneal scratches caused by some trauma: this is another reason that explains the pain in the eye.
It is important to consult a doctor
When eyeballs hurt, the reasons should be established by a specialist. It is necessary to visit a doctor if any of the symptoms occurs, to determine the cause of a possible illness and begin treatment as soon as possible. During the diagnosis, the doctor can establish various diagnoses. For example, fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease characterized by multiple symptoms, such as general body pain, fatigue, and sleep problems.
Pain in the eyeballs with closed eyes is not one of the signs that allow you to immediately make this diagnosis, but this symptom is quite common in people suffering from this disease. There are clinics with more than 20 thousand patients with fibromyalgia. At least 50% of them have eye problems associated with this pathology.
Dry eyes
Many people with fibromyalgia suffer from a dry eye, which occurs when the surface of the eye does not have enough lubrication for its nutrition and allows the eyelid to glide easily on the surface. Dry eyes can cause burning, itching, redness, rudeness, and blurred vision. This condition makes it very difficult to use contact lenses because it causes pain and discomfort. Given this problem, the doctor often prescribes artificial tears to keep your eyes moist. If these drops do not work, your doctor may recommend some medications (which usually require a prescription) or other treatments to reduce the onset of symptoms when the eyeball hurts when pressed.
Light sensitivity
Fibromyalgia can cause photophobia, that is, sensitivity to light. This problem forces people to wear sunglasses when they are outside, even if the day is cloudy. It also makes people have difficulty driving a car at night because the lights of oncoming vehicles are dazzling. Sensitivity to bright lamps, such as TV screen light, fluorescent, and sunshine, may also occur. This problem does not distort the overall vision, but can cause discomfort in the form of dizziness and even pain.
Eye pain
Fibromyalgia in itself is a disease characterized by pain of the whole body, which even reaches the organs of vision, since it can affect the eye muscles. The pain can be intense and acute. The causes of the condition are fatigue, lack of sleep, anxiety and constant stress.
Bifurcation of vision, blur or change in the quality of vision
Many patients with fibromyalgia usually complain of visual acuity; they have problems with focusing (or with a change in focus). Vision usually worsens when the environment is dry or there is haze around it. The ability to see things at a distance can be impaired, once a person cannot recognize the forms of things, they perceive everything blurred and require that the lenses focus better, but the next day they can see at a distance without any difficulty. Blurred vision can be an obstacle for people to focus on things for a long time, because their eyes feel too tired and can not stand the load.
Touch sensitivity
People who wear prescription glasses usually experience discomfort and irritation in their nose, cheek, and ears when using glasses. The sensitivity can be so strong that the use of glasses will become intolerable, as the frame causes pain in the face, nose and even in the ears and teeth.
Troubleshooting Guidelines
As soon as you notice pain in the eye and redness of the eyeball, you should inform your doctor. Eyes are an important part of your health. Most people trust them to see and comprehend the world around them. However, some eye diseases can lead to loss of vision, so it is important to identify and treat these pathologies as soon as possible.
It is important that the body is healthy. To do this, take care of the eyes. To make them healthy, use drops for pain in the eyeball and other treatment methods. You will need to check your eyes as often as the doctor recommends, if there are new vision problems.
Pain in the eyeball, the treatment of which should be prescribed by a specialist, causes a person discomfort. There are things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy:
- Study your heredity - it is important to find out if there are relatives in the family with similar problems. This can help determine if there is an increased risk of some problems.
- Analyze other risk factors: as a person gets older, he is at a higher risk of developing diseases related to his eye condition. It is important to know these risk factors, because you can reduce them if you change some habits.
- If you wear contact lenses, take measures to prevent eye infections: wash your hands thoroughly before putting on or removing contact lenses. Also follow the instructions on how to clean them properly and replace if necessary.
A person must eat right, take care of daily hygiene of the eyes and face. There are special gymnastic exercises to relieve tension from the eyes during intense work. You can practice applying eye masks from chopped cucumber.
To summarize
All people need an eye test to see if there are eye problems. Children usually have eye examinations during screening at school. Adults can also check their vision. But in adults, problems arise more often, so more attention and a full examination of the organs of vision are required. Take care of yourself and be healthy!